BR company producing Ebola protective gear

BATON ROUGE- Convergence Equity, LLC, a company based out of Baton Rouge, is teaming up with medical supply partners to produce thousands of vital protective suits used in treating and dealing with patients infected by the deadly Ebola virus.

The company is currently ramping up production of the bright yellow full body suits to provide full kits to various entities in the US and abroad.

The protective kit includes the suit, respirators, goggles, gloves and other elements needed to properly and safely treat someone infected with the virus.

It's part of an effort to fill an immediate need for the gear in areas lacking proper protection.

"There's a shortage of protective gear, and some of the protective gear wasn't being used correctly, and you know we have 3000 troops heading over there, we have professional workers across the United States that are at risk if this spreads," said Rob Hartwell, the spokesperson for Convergence.

The company is producing the suits stateside in an Alabama factory and in overseas factories as well, to ensure the country and world are prepared in case the worst happens.

"We wanted to be sure that we were able to do something to step up and make sure that number one, we weren't going to have shortages if this ever did break out into a pandemic and that our troops that were going overseas were protected," said Hartwell.

Hartwell says the company is currently working the Department of Defense, UN relief programs and local hospitals, in an effort to distribute the protective kits.